Adjusting device for the terminals of control cables

ABSTRACT

This adjusting device is applicable to terminals (2) which include a main body (11) provided with a linkage (19), and has on the main body (11), a housing (12) in which are set a regulating rod (22) provided with a threaded retaining portion (42), a thrust spring (23), two retaining bodies (20) provided with respective threaded retaining portions (26) which coincide with that of the rod (22), two retaining springs (21) and two fixing extensions (48, 61) of a fixing body (24). The fixing body (24) can take up two positions, one exterior position in which the retaining bodies (20) and the rod (22) are out of mesh, and an interior or control cable (3) length-adjustment position in which the bodies (20) and rod (22) are in mesh.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is an adjusting device for controlcable terminals, of general application to control cables which,essentially made up of a sheathed steel cable, are widely used in theautomobile industry. More particularly, the adjusting device of theinvention is applicable to control cables used as a means of linkagebetween the gear-shift mechanism and its actuating lever.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As is known in the art, the control cables made up of a sheathed steelcable used in the automobile industry for the transmission ofthrust-traction forces, and usually known as push-pull operating cables,are frequently mounted on the vehicle in such a way that the ends of thesteel cable sheath are attached to fixed points along the route of thecontrol cable, while the ends of the steel cable have a correspondingterminal designed for detachable coupling thereof to a control deviceand its associated mechanism, respectively, such as the above-mentionedgear-shift lever and the corresponding gear-shift mechanism. Known, too,is the fact that such control cables generally include an adjustingdevice whose purpose, during fitting of the cable onto the vehicle,consists in adjusting the length of the sheathed portion of steel cablein order to achieve suitable functioning of the control cable by takingup the length tolerances of each particular vehicle. It is the usualpractice to fit said adjusting device on one of the terminals of thecontrol cable.

Essentially, the known embodiments of adjusting devices include aregulating rod linked by one of its ends to the corresponding end of thesteel cable, while the other end is inserted into a housing of theterminal through which it can slide, and means which secure the positionof the rod with respect to the terminal. During fitting of the cableonto the vehicle, the user generally adjusts the portion of rod housedinside the terminal, thereby adjusting the sheathed portion of steelcable, and then proceeds to secure the position of the regulating rod byactuating the fixing means.

The patent document PCT/ES97/00057 (WO 97/35118) discloses aself-adjusting device for control cable terminals comprising a mainbody, a regulating rod partially housed in the main body, a thrustspring working permanently under compression in such a way that theregulating rod is permanently subjected to a force acting from theoutside inwards, and means for securing the position of the regulatingrod.

The known embodiments of adjusting devices such as those described aboveshare, wholly or partially, the following disadvantages. Adjustment ofthe sheathed portion of steel cable is implemented manually, therebyleading to an inconsistency of results which can affect the correctfunctioning of the control cable, while the fixing of the positionreached by the regulating rod once the length of said sheathed portionhas been adjusted calls for the use of a tool and therefore increasesthe costs of fitting the control cable onto the vehicle.

SUMMARY

An adjusting device of original structure and functioning for controlcable terminals is made known hereby in order to provide a solution tothe above-described problems presented by the known embodiments ofadjusting devices.

The adjusting device of the invention is for control cable terminalsmade up essentially of a sheathed steel cable, which terminals have amain body provided with means of linkage to a control actuating deviceor to its associated mechanism, the adjusting device including:

on the main body, a longitudinal housing open at one of its ends, therear end;

a regulating rod arranged in the longitudinal housing of the main bodyand through which the rod can slide in both directions, which rodprojects permanently from the main body by one of its ends, the exteriorend, attached to the corresponding end of the steel cable of the controlcable, while the other end, the interior end, has a threaded retainingportion;

a thrust spring coaxially arranged with respect to the regulating rod,which spring works permanently under compression with one of its endsresting against the interior end of the regulating rod and its other endagainst the main body, in such a way that the regulating rod ispermanently subjected to a force directed from the outside inwards; and

fixing means which fix the position of the regulating rod with respectto the main body.

The adjusting device of the invention is characterized in that thefixing means include:

two retaining bodies arranged in the longitudinal housing of the mainbody, facing each other and oriented transversally with respect to theregulating rod which runs between them, which retaining bodies haverespective threaded retaining portions which coincide with the threadedportion of the regulating rod and can slide transversally between twopositions, one position in which the threaded retaining portions of theretaining bodies and of the regulating rod mesh with each other andsecure the position of the rod with respect to the main body, and anout-of-mesh position of said threaded portions in which the regulatingrod can slide in both directions;

two retaining springs arranged between the two retaining bodies, one oneither side of the regulating rod, which work permanently undercompression with each of their two ends resting against a respectiveretaining body, in such a way that they tend permanently to situate theretaining bodies in the out-of-mesh position;

a fixing body fitted onto the open end of the longitudinal housing ofthe main body and provided with a through-orifice through which theregulating rod can slide in both directions, which fixing body includestwo fixing extensions arranged between the retaining and main bodies andable to slide in both directions between two extreme positions, exteriorand interior, respectively;

on the retaining bodies and on the fixing extensions of the fixing body,respective and complementary meshing means which, when the fixing bodyis in the exterior position, permit the action of the retaining springsto move the retaining bodies into the out-of-mesh position, whereas whenthe fixing body is in the interior position the retaining bodies take upthe meshed position by submitting the retaining springs to greatercompression due to reduction of their length.

According to another characteristic of the adjusting device of theinvention, the meshing means include, in each retaining body, two fixinghousings arranged in centred and longitudinal position, and on each ofthe fixing extensions of the fixing body, two fixing projections whichcoincide with the fixing housings of the corresponding retaining body,in which they can be housed with a snug fit, with each of the fixinghousings and projections having a corresponding sliding plane whichforms a certain angle oriented in the direction of outside-inwardmovement of the fixing body.

According to another characteristic of the retaining device of theinvention, the main and fixing bodies have respective and complementarymeans of positioning which fix the end positions, exterior and interior,which the fixing body can take up.

According to another characteristic of the adjusting device of theinvention, the means of positioning include, on the main body, alongitudinal positioning slot superimposed upon one of the fixingextensions of the fixing body and, on said fixing extension, atransverse positioning projection so designed that it can slide in bothdirections along the positioning slot.

According to another characteristic of the adjusting device of theinvention, the main and fixing bodies have respective and complementarysecuring means which, once the position of the regulating rod has beenfixed by the action of the retaining and fixing bodies, prevents slidingof the fixing body with respect to the main body.

According to another characteristic of the adjusting device of theinvention, the securing means include:

on the open end of the main body, a securing extension which is coaxialwith respect to the regulating rod and is provided with two transversesecuring slots facing each other;

on the fixing body a securing extension provided with two transversesecuring through-slots facing each other and coinciding with the slotsof the securing extension of the main body, both securing extensionsbeing coaxial to each other and capable of mutual sliding; and

a substantially U-shaped securing spring which works permanently undercompression, which spring, when the fixing body is in the exteriorposition, has both of its arms in respective securing slots of thefixing body and, when the fixing body is in the interior position, hasits two arms in a respective facing pair of securing slots of the mainand fixing bodies, thereby preventing sliding of the fixing body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawing sheets of the present specification show the adjustingdevice of the invention for control cable terminals. In said drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a control cable fitted with the deviceof the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the components making up the device ofthe invention prior to assembling thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective, enlarged-section view of the longitudinalhousing of the main body of the device of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section view of the device of the invention assupplied ex-works;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section view of the device of the inventiononce the length of the control cable has been adjusted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXAMPLE OF EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows schematically the application of the adjusting device 1 ofthe invention to a terminal 2 of a control cable 3 made up essentiallyof a steel cable 4 provided with a sheath 5 both ends 6 of which areattached to respective fixed points 7. In this example of application ofthe adjusting device of the invention, the control cable 3 is the meansof linkage between a control actuating device 8 and its associatedmechanism 9, both shown schematically. As stated above, this controlactuating device 8 and its associated mechanism 9 can consist, forexample, in the gear-shift lever and gearbox, respectively, of anautomobile vehicle. The terminal 2, with which the adjusting device ofthe invention is fitted, is in this example of application attached tothe associated mechanism 9; it should be understood, however, that theadjusting device of the invention can be mounted on the other terminal10 attached to the control actuating device 8 without this in any wayaffecting its operation.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show how the terminal 2 includes a hollow main body 11 ofsubstantially elongated parallele-piped shape which forms a longitudinalhousing 12 whose rear wall 13 has a through-orifice 14 which makes upits rear open end, the longitudinal housing 12 having a closure cover 15which can be coupled by means of prismatic projections 16 andthrough-slots 17 which they have respectively and complementarily.Longitudinally, on the main body 11 there can be distinguished an axialextension 18 which has a through-orifice 19 which form means of linkagewith the associated mechanism 9. It can be understood that the main body11, the axial extension 18 and the means of linkage can adopt any otherconfiguration different from that shown and adapted to each specificcase of application without this affecting the essential nature of theinvention.

As shown separately in FIG. 1, the adjusting device 1 includes two equalretaining bodies 20, two equal retaining springs 21, a regulating rod22, a thrust spring 23, a fixing body 24 and a fixing spring 60.

FIG. 3 shows how the longitudinal housing 12 of the main body includes:on each one of two of its lateral sides 36 facing each other in centredposition, two substantially L-shaped parallel guides 34 which make op atransverse housing 37 designed to receive a respective thrust spring 21;on the lateral side which forms a dihedral angle with the lateral sides36 or back 38, a centred fixing slot 39; on the back wall 13, two fixingopenings 40 and, to the exterior, a securing extension 58 on which aretwo securing slots 59 running transversally.

FIG. 2 shows how the retaining bodies 20 are of substantiallyrectangular parallelepiped shape, having one of the larger sides, theinterior side 25, with a transversally oriented threaded retainingportion 26 which runs the entire length of the body 20, while the otherlarger side, the exterior side 27, has two fixing housings runninglongitudinally and centred, one 28 in central position and the other 29in end position, provided with a respective plane of sliding 30 shown insection in FIGS. 4 and 5. Each retaining body 20 has in centred positionon each one of its longitudinal lateral sides 31 a transverse supportextension 32 and a respective guide-projection 33 on both of its ends,all this so designed that the transverse support extensions 32 can bearranged between the two guides 34, while the guide-projections 33 canbe arranged in the passages 62 formed between said guides 34 and therear 13 and front 35 walls, respectively, of the longitudinal housing12.

The regulating rod 22 is of substantially elongated cylindrical shape,having its interior end 41 provided with a threaded retaining portion 42coinciding with the threaded retaining portions 26 of the retainingbodies 20, and its exterior end 43 is provided with an axial orifice 44designed for reception and fixing (not shown) of the corresponding endof the steel cable 4.

FIG. 2 shows how the fixing body 24 includes a support plate 45 ofquadrangular outline to coincide with the rear wall 13 of thelongitudinal housing 12, which support plate 45 has: in centredposition, a through-orifice 46; on its front side 47 two fixingextensions 48, 61 parallel to each other which, on their facing interiorsides 49 have, respectively, two fixing projections 50 provided withsliding planes 51 coinciding with the fixing housings 28, 29 and slidingplanes 30 of the retaining bodies 20, FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 show how one ofthe fixing extensions, the one marked with reference number 48, has onits exterior side 52 a transverse positioning projection 53 whichcoincides in dimensions with a longitudinal positioning slot 54 providedon the closure cover 15; and FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 show how on the rear side55 there is a cylindrical securing extension 56 provided with twosecuring through-slots 57 running transversally, which cylindricalsecuring extension 56 is designed to receive with a snug fit thecylindrical securing extension 58 of the rear wall 13 of the main body11.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the assembly of the parts described above once theclosure cover 15 has been attached to main body 11, the arrangement ofsaid parts being as follows: the fixing body 24 has its two fixingextensions 48, 61 provided in the longitudinal housing 12, one of them,the one marked with reference number 61, being provided in the fixingslot 39 of the bottom 38 of the housing 12, while the other, the onemarked with reference number 48, is superimposed on the closure cover 15with its positioning projection 53 provided in the positioning slot 54;the retaining bodies 20 have their transverse support extensions 32 andguide-projections 33 located in the transverse housings 37 and passages62 of the longitudinal housing 12, respectively, and in such a way thattheir respective threaded retaining portions 26 are facing each other;the retaining springs 21 are in the transverse housings 37, workingpermanently under compression with their respective ends resting againstcorresponding transverse support extensions 32 of the retaining bodies20; the interior end 41 with its threaded retaining portion 42 of theregulating rod 22 is arranged between the two retaining bodies 20; thethrust spring 23 is arranged coaxially with respect to the regulatingrod 22, working permanently under compression with one of its ends, thefront end 63, resting against a step 64 on the regulating rod 22, andits other end, the rear end 65, against the rear wall 13 of the mainbody 11; and the fixing spring 60 has its arms 66 in the securingthrough-slots 57 of the fixing body 24.

FIG. 4 shows how the adjusting device of the invention is suppliedex-works, in which condition the arrangement of the parts is as follows.The fixing body 24 occupies the exterior position bounded by thepositioning projection 53 and the positioning slot 54 of the closurecover 15; the retaining bodies 20 subjected to the action of theretaining springs 21 occupy the out-of-mesh position in which the fixingprojections 50 of the fixing extensions 48, 61 of the fixing body 24 arehoused in the corresponding fixing housings 28, 29 of the retainingbodies 20; and the regulating rod 22, in the absence of external action,takes up its most interior position in the longitudinal housing 12driven by the thrust spring 23, with the regulating rod 22 able to slidein both directions marked A and B in FIG. 4.

With the terminal 10 fixed to the control actuating mechanism 8 and thetwo ends 6 of the steel cable 4 sheath 5 fixed to respective fixedpoints 7, as shown schematically in FIG. 1, the operation of theadjusting device of the invention is as described below. Firstly, theuser attaches the terminal 2 to the associated mechanism 9, simply byapplying a force on the main body 11 in the direction indicated as A inFIG. 4 and housing the corresponding part (not shown) of the associatedmechanism 9 in the orifice 19 of the axial extension 18. In thissituation, the thrust spring 23 is subjected to greater compression dueto reduction of its length, as shown in FIG. 5, and the length of thecontrol cable 3 is adjusted by reduction of the portion of theregulating rod 22 contained in the longitudinal housing 12 of the mainbody 11. The user then applies a force in the direction indicated as Aon the fixing body 24, which causes it to move in the same direction,this movement taking place in such a way that the sliding planes 51 ofthe fixing projections 50 of the fixing extensions 48, 61 of the fixingbody 24 slide over the corresponding sliding planes 30 of the fixinghousings 28, 29 of the retaining bodies 20, this sliding motion of thefixing body 24 causing an approach sliding movement of the retainingbodies 20 which, as shown in FIG. 5, then take up the meshed position,in which the retaining springs 21 are subjected to greater compressiondue to reduction of their length and the threaded retaining portion 42of the regulating rod 22 is meshed with the threaded retaining portions26 of the retaining body 20, the sliding of the fixing body 24continuing until the transverse positioning projection 53 reaches theinterior position shown in FIG. 4 in which the front wall 35 of the mainbody 11 acts as a stop, thus leaving the position of the regulating rod22 with respect to the main body 11 fixed. Simultaneously with thesliding of the fixing body 24, and when the latter reaches said interiormeshed position shown in FIG. 5, the arms 66 of the fixing spring 60 aresubjected to a double elastic deformation, a first deformation in whichthe arms 66 are separated in order to permit the extension 58 of themain body 11 to pass through them, and a second deformation in theopposite direction to the previous one in which the arms 66 move byelastic reaction in the securing slots 59 of said extension 58, therebyfixing the position of the fixing body 24 with respect to the main body11 and ensuring thereby that no untimely meshing of the regulating rod22 take place.

In those cases in which for any reason the terminal 2 has to be detachedfrom the associated mechanism 9, the user simply has to apply a force onthe fixing body 24 in the direction indicated as B in FIG. 4, sliding itin that direction. This sliding motion of the fixing body 24 leads inturn to the arms 66 of the securing spring 60 coming out of the securingslots 59 of the securing extension 58, while at the same time the fixingprojections 50 slide on the retaining bodies 20, that sliding motioncontinuing until said projections 50 are superimposed upon the fixinghousings 28, 29 of the retaining bodies 20, at which moment the elasticreaction of the retaining springs 21 causes the retaining bodies 20 tobecome detached and take up the out-of-mesh position shown in FIG. 4, inwhich the regulating rod 22 can slide in both directions A, B withrespect to the main body 11, leaving the adjusting device of theinvention in the initial position described above.

We claim:
 1. An adjusting device for control cable (3) terminals (2),composed of a sheathed steel cable (4, 5), which terminals (2) have amain body (11) provided with means of linkage (19) to a controlactuating device (8) or to its associated mechanism (9), the adjustingdevice including:on the main body (11), a longitudinal housing (12) openat one of its ends, the rear end (13, 14); a regulating rod (22)arranged in the longitudinal housing (12) of the main body (11), throughwhich the rod can slide in both directions (A, B), which rod (22)projects permanently from the main body (11) by one of its ends, theexterior end (43), attached to the corresponding end of the steel cable(4) of the control cable (3), while the other end, the interior end(41), has a threaded retaining portion (42); a thrust spring (23)coaxially arranged with respect to the regulating rod (22), which springworks permanently under compression with one of its ends (63) restingagainst the interior end (41) of the regulating rod (22) and its otherend (65) against the main body (11), in such a way that the regulatingrod (22) is permanently subjected to a force directed from the outsideinwards; and fixing means which fix the position of the regulating rod(22) with respect to the main body (11), characterized in that thefixing means include:two retaining bodies (20) arranged in thelongitudinal housing (12) of the main body (11), facing each other andoriented transversally with respect to the regulating rod (22) whichruns between them, which retaining bodies (20) have respective threadedretaining portions (26) which coincide with the threaded portion of theregulating rod (22) and can slide transversally between two positions,one position in which the threaded retaining portions (26, 42) of theretaining bodies (20) and of the regulating rod (22) mesh with eachother and secure the position of the rod (22) with respect to the mainbody (11), and an out-of-mesh position of said threaded portions (26,42) in which the regulating rod (22) can slide in both directions; tworetaining springs (21) arranged between the two retaining bodies (20),one on either side of the regulating rod (22), which work permanentlyunder compression with each of their two ends resting against arespective retaining body (20), in such a way that they tend permanentlyto situate the retaining bodies (20) in the out-of-mesh position; afixing body (24) fitted onto the open end (13, 14) of the longitudinalhousing (12) of the main body (11) and provided with a through-orifice(46) through which the regulating rod (22) can slide in both directions,which fixing body (24) includes two fixing extensions (48, 61) arrangedbetween the retaining (20) and main (11) bodies and able to slide inboth directions between two extreme positions, exterior and interior,respectively; on the retaining bodies (20) and on the fixing extensions(48, 61) of the fixing body (24), respective and complementary meshingmeans which, when the fixing body (24) is in the exterior position,permit the action of the retaining springs (21) to move the retainingbodies (20) into the out-of-mesh position, whereas when the fixing body(24) is in the interior position the retaining bodies (20) take up themeshed position by submitting the retaining springs (21) to greatercompression due to reduction of their length.
 2. An adjusting device asclaimed in claim 1, characterized in that the meshing means include, ineach retaining body (20), two fixing housings (28, 29) arranged in acentered and longitudinal position, and on each of the fixing extensions(48, 61) of the fixing body (24), two fixing projections (50) whichcoincide with the fixing housings (28, 29) of the correspondingretaining body (20), in which they can be housed with a snug fit, witheach of the fixing housings (28, 29) and projections (50) having acorresponding sliding plane (30, 51) which forms a certain angleoriented in the direction of outside-inward movement of the fixing body(24).
 3. An adjusting device as claimed in claim 1, characterized inthat the main (11) and fixing (24) bodies have respective andcomplementary means of positioning which fix the end positions, exteriorand interior, which the fixing body (24) can take up.
 4. An adjustingdevice as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the means ofpositioning include, on the main body (11), a longitudinal positioningslot (54) superimposed upon one of the fixing extensions (48) of thefixing body (24) and, on said fixing extension (48), a transversepositioning projection (53) so designed that it can slide in bothdirections along the positioning slot (54).
 5. An adjusting device asclaimed in claim 1, characterized in that the main (11) and fixing (24)bodies have respective and complementary securing means which, once theposition of the regulating rod (22) has been fixed by the action of theretaining (20) and fixing (24) bodies, prevents sliding of the fixingbody (24) with respect to the main body (11).
 6. An adjusting device asclaimed in claim 5, characterized in that the securing means include:onthe open end (13, 14) of the main body (11), a securing extension (58)which is coaxial with respect to the regulating rod (22) and is providedwith two transverse securing slots (59) facing each other; on the fixingbody (24) a securing extension (56) provided with two transversesecuring through-slots (57) facing each other and coinciding with theslots of the securing extension (58) of the main body (11), bothsecuring extensions (58, 56) being coaxial to each other and capable ofmutual sliding; and a substantially U-shaped securing spring (60) whichworks permanently under compression, which spring (60), when the fixingbody (24) is in the exterior position, has both of its arms (66) inrespective securing slots (57) of the fixing body (24) and, when thefixing body (24) is in the interior position, has its two arms (66) in arespective facing pair of securing slots (57, 59) of the main (11) andfixing (24) bodies, thereby preventing sliding of the fixing body (24).